FEMA has announced that it has approved the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) version 1.2. This means that industry now officially knows how to properly format CAP messages to conform to a standard that's taking hold. And, it means that emergency managers now know what standard to ask their vendors to meet so that emegency alerting messages are spoken in the same language to facilitate more diverse modes of communication.

The industry sector most focused on the CAP 1.2 standard at the moment are the vendors who make equipment that support the Emergency Alert System (EAS). FEMA, the FCC, and broadcasters are modernizing and enhancing EAS. CAP 1.2 is an integral part. With the FEMA announcement made, the FCC now starts a 180-day clock ticking for requiring broadcasters to have CAP 1.2 equipment in place. Some broadcasters and equipment makers say the CAP standard is not enough, that they need still more information before they can put new EAS equipment to work. Lisa Fowlkes of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau today (Thursday) told radio broadcasters at the Radio Show conference that their concerns are being heard and reviewed by the FCC.

Implementation details aside, emergency managers and broadcasters should be communicating about how new EAS works and what new opportunities it presents. We know of at least at least two capital cities who are using EAS modernization as an opportunity to put new equipment in place so the local EMA will have ability to activate EAS without going through the National Weather Service or the state. Perhaps others who don't have this capability should be discussing the same. And, certainly, as we've posted before, this would be a good time for emergency management officials to sit down with their local broadcasters to talk about how they can work together toward a better informed public.